Category Description: Pugs Pugs are love; little bundles of love on four legs. They love everybody; particularly their family, their pack. A purebred pug comes in two colors only, fawn and black, which are the registered standard colors of the breed. Pugs are happy and affectionate, loyal and charming, and playful and mischievous; just a happy-go-lucky little dog. Pugs often are described as a lot of dog in a small space. Sturdy, compact dogs, part of the Toy group, they are known as the clowns of the canine world because they have a great sense of humor and like to show off. Originally bred to be a lap dog, they thrive on human companionship. Pugs are clowns at heart, but they carry themselves with dignity. Although playful dogs, they are also lovers and must be close to their humans. Pugs love to be the center of attention, and get heartsick, if ignored. The Pug’s comical face, with deep wrinkles around big, dark eyes and a flat round face, can’t help but make you smile. Its name comes from the Latin word for “fist” because his face resembles a human fist.

The Pug, one of the oldest breeds known today, originated from China dating back to the pre-Christian era, before 400 BC. They were prized possessions of the emperors of China, lived in a luxurious atmosphere, and at times were even guarded by soldiers. The artist Hogarth had a Pug named “Trump” that he often depicted in his works. The breed became popular during Victorian times in the 19th century. Tibetan monasteries kept Pugs as pets. The Dutch traders brought Pugs from the east to Holland and to England. The breed made its way to Japan and Europe, where it not only became a pet of royalty but the official dog of the House of Orange in Holland. Prince William II owned Pugs. One dog in particular saved his life in 1572 at Hermingny, when it barked at approaching Spaniards alerting him of their presence. In France, Napoleon’s wife Josephine had a Pug named Fortune. On their wedding night, when Napoleon refused to allow the dog to sleep in their bed, Josephine told him, “If the Pug does not sleep in our bed, neither do I!” When Josephine was sent to prison she used the little dog to send secret messages to her husband by placing a note under the collar of her Pug. In 1860 when the British took over the Chinese Imperial Palace, they discovered several Pugs and they were brought back to England with them. The AKC recognized the Pug in 1885. The Pug’s popularity grew by leaps and bounds but then dwindled by the turn of the century. A few dedicated breeders kept the breed going and slowly the pug reappeared on the American scene. Currently, the Pug is enjoying a rather steady rate of growth in popularity.